I personally am not a competitor. Many...many people will vouch for this. What I am is a Mom of three athletic boys. They all like sports. They all enjoy competing. They practice to get better and they play to win. I get it. I am married to quite possibly the most competitive person I've ever met. He has tried and tried to tell me that it is part of the game to have a winner...and a loser. But...I refuse to see the importance of making the losing team/athlete feel like a worthless, good for nothing person. Poor sportsmanship just might be one of the most unattractive things I've ever witnessed.
Today, as I was walking through the mall looking at new school clothes for the boys, I came upon athletic wear. Nike, Adidas, and Under Armor. The boys are very simple when it comes to their clothing preferences. Athletic shorts and shirts, or khaki shorts and tees. Nothing too flashy. Just clothes. They are boys...and unfortunately for me, clothing is not of great importance to them.
I put on Facebook a little something about this earlier today because it just really gets to me. The first three shirts I looked at said the following slogans.
- Believe the Hype
- Born to be Recruited
- My Game is Money
It seems to me (in my humble opinion) that Nike has got it wrong. Here is a multi-bazillion dollar company that makes athletic wear for men, women, and children. They have the opportunity to encourage and support athletics in a way that would actually teach our kids something. Instead, they choose to put slogans like this on their shirts. And it angers me a bit. I want my kids to be able to wear the brands that they like, but I am not willing to have them walk around in something that completely mis-represents everything we are trying to teach them about how to treat people and how to play sports. Yes...winning is awesome. To play hard and win a game is a great feeling. But not a better feeling than being a decent human being that doesn't put being cocky, arrogant, and egotistical first. It is uncalled for and unsportsmanlike. Furthermore...why don't the athletes that choose to wear these types of clothing, put their money where their mouth (or shirt) is? I mean...if you are really that good...and your game is "money"...I hope you never drop a ball. I hope you never strike out. I hope you never miss a basket. Because if your game is in fact "money"...you would never make a mistake...right? I won't let the boys wear these things because they are bound to make a mistake. They are bound to mess up from time to time because no one is perfect. And it is in those moments of making mistakes, that we learn the most about how to play, how to win, how to treat people...and how to live.
I am married to a man that coaches kids every year. He coaches them to play their positions and to win the game. He also coaches them to be good people. He teaches kids that actions speak louder than words. It isn't what your t shirt says that makes you a good athlete. It is how you play the game. If you have what it takes to back it up...you wouldn't need to wear a shirt that says it for you.
My suggestion is that Nike stop making clothing slogans that teach our kids to be full of themselves and are the epitome of poor sportsmanship. Instead, make clothes that encourage kids to try hard, compete hard, be their best, and at the end of the day be proud of the effort they have put forth. Go ahead Nike. Just do it.
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